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The Free State of Fiume, also known as the Free State of Rijeka (Croatian: Slobodna Država Rijeka), was an independent free state which existed between 1920 and 1924. Its territory comprised 28 km2 (11 sq mi) with the city of Rijeka (in Italian Fiume) and rural areas to its north with a corridor connecting it to the rest of Italy [1].
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Rijeka gained autonomy for the first time in 1719 when it was proclaimed a free port in a decree issued by Charles VI of Austria. In 1779 during the reign of the Empress Maria Theresa the city gained the status of corpus separatum. From then until 1924 Rijeka existed more or less as an autonomous entity with elements of statehood.
The city briefly lost its autonomy in 1848 after being occupied by ban (viceroy) Josip Jelačić, but regained it in 1868 when it joined the Kingdom of Hungary, again as a corpus separatum.
In the 19th century the city was populated by Croats, Hungarians, Italians and other nationalities. National affiliation changed from census to census, as at that time, nationality was mostly defined by the language a person spoke. The special status the city had, being placed between different states, created a local Rijekan identity among the majority of the population. The official languages in use were Italian, Hungarian and German, business correspondence was carried out in Italian, whilst most of the families spoke a kind of mix between Venetian and few words in Croatian. Outside the city in the countryside Croatian was spoken.
After World War I and the demise of Austria-Hungary the question of the status of Rijeka became a major international problem. At the height of the dispute between the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) and the Kingdom of Italy, the Powers advocated the establishment of an independent buffer state. President Woodrow Wilson of the U.S. became the arbiter in the Yugoslav-Italian dispute over the city [2]. He suggested that Rijeka be set up as an independent state and as the potential home for the League of Nations organisation[citation needed].
The dispute led to lawlessness and the city changed hands between a South-Slav National Committee and an Italian National Council, leading finally to the landing of British and French troops who took over the city. This confusing situation was exploited by the Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio who entered the city with his anarcho-fascist movement on 12 September 1919 and began a 15-month period of rule. A year later after failure of negotiations with the Italian government D'Annunzio proclaimed the Italian Regency of Carnaro.
On 12 November 1920, the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes signed the Treaty of Rapallo by which both parties agreed to acknowledge "the complete freedom and independence of the State of Fiume and oblige to respect it for eternity"[citation needed]. With this act the "Free State of Fiume" was created, which, it turned out, would exist as an independent state for about one year de facto, and four years de jure. The newly created state was immediately recognized by the United States, France and the United Kingdom. D'Annunzio refused to acknowledge the Agreement and was expelled from the city by the regular forces of the Italian Army, in the "Bloody Christmas" from the 24th to the 30th of December 1920 [3].
In April 1921 the electorate approved the plan for a Free State and for a consortium to run the port [4] and the first parliamentary elections were held which were contested by the autonomists and the pro-Italian National Bloc. The Autonomy Party, which was supported by votes from the majority of the Croats, gained 6558 votes, while the National Bloc, composed of Fascist, Liberal and Democratic parties, got 3443 votes. The leader of the Autonomy Party, Riccardo Zanella, became the President.
However, control over the Free State was in an almost constant state of flux. Following the departure of D'Annunzio's troops in December 1920, the local authorities assumed control and appointed a provisional government. A pact between them and the local Italian commander handed control to the military on January 18, 1921, but this lasted just three days before there was a nationalist rebellion, which appointed an extraordinary government which itself fell two days later. In June 1921 an Italian Royal Commisioner was appointed, whose control lasted two weeks, whereupon a group of D'Annunzio loyalists seized part of the town, until they were in turn pushed out in September. In October, an autonomist president was appointed, until March 3, 1922 when fascists carried out a coup d'état and the legal government escaped to Kraljevica. On March 6, the Italian government was asked to restore order and Italian troops entered the city on March 17, who returned control to the constituent assembly. This lasted for 18 months until Italian military forces resumed control [5].
In January 1924 the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes signed the Rome Agreement, agreeing to the annexation of Fiume by Italy and the absorption of Sušak by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes; this took effect on 16 March. The government-in-exile of the Free State considered this act invalid and non-binding under international law and continued its activities.
With the surrender of Italy in the World War II, the Rijeka issue became topical again and in 1944 a group of citizens issued the "Liburnia Memorandum" in which it was recommended that a confederate state be formed from the three cantons of Rijeka, Sušak and Bistrica. The islands of Krk, Cres and Lošinj would enter the common condominium as well. However President Zanella of the government-in-exile still sought the re-establishment of the Free State.
The Yugoslav authorities, who liberated the city from German occupation on 3 May 1945, objected to these plans. The leaders of the autonomists - Nevio Skull, Mario Blasich and Sergio Sincich - were killed[6][7][8]. With the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947, Rijeka and Istria officially became part of Croatia within Yugoslavia.
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